World Series: Did You Know?

The famed "Tinker-To-Evers-To-Chance" double play did not turn one double play, despite appearing in three straight Fall Classics from 1906-1908. Their team, Chicago got some double plays by other means, however, and the Cubs won two of the three Fall Classics from those years.

Where do we start? Oh, 1906! But first, a little musical intro!

In game two of the all-Chicago Fall Classic of '06, Johhny Evers and Joe Tinker actually both committed an error. However, Frank Chance and Tinker scored three times, and Evers scored one himself. Evers and Chance got together on a double play. Second to first!

Tinker made another error in game three, and the Cubs lost 3-0. In game four, Evers was involved ina double play, but not Tinker or Chance. The Cubs won the game 1-0. Chance had two hits and scored the only run. Evers drove him home.

But it was ultimatly the White Sox who won the 1906 World Series. They took game five, 8-6, despite Evers being in on a double play. Game six was all the Sox, 8-3. The Cubs failed to turn a single double play, and the Cubs had to watch their cross-town rivals celebrate a World Series triumph!

But the Cubs were back the next year to take on Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers. Game one ended in a tie due to darkness. Evers and Tinker turned a double play on a liner that Evers snared and tossed to Tinker at short. All was not good on the Chicago side, however. Tinker commited one error, and Evers, two!

Chicago took game two by a final score of 3-1. Tinker and Chance got together on not one, but two double plays. Tinker also scored a run and drove a man home. In the top of the fifth inning of game three, Tinker showed he didn't need Evers or Chance, as he turned two unassisted. Evers and Chance hooked up with Harry Steinfeldt on a 6-4-3 double play the very next inning. With that kind of fielding, is it any wonder Chicago won 5-1? Evers added three hits! Now, all Chicago needed was two more wins! Tinker made the only Chicago error of the game

Evers and Tinker somehow combined for three runs scored without getting a hit in game four, a 6-1 Chicago win. Tinker also turned another unassisted double play. They were driving Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford up the creek without a paddle, says I! Tinker did make his third error of this Fall Classic, however! But now the Cubs had a 3-0-1 stranglehold on the 1907 World Series. And with a 2-0 shutout of Detroit in game five, they were champs! The only negative was not turning a single double play to speak of in the clincher. Oh well, what can you do?

You can always try again the next year. Ty and company wanted another chance. They got it, but it took the same amount of games (Sans the tie) to do it.

Detroit managed to win a game, but Chicago won four. Evers commited the only Chicago error, but offence was flying off the charts in this game. When it was over, Chicago had a 10-6 win. Evers and Tinker had two hits each. Evers made the only Cubs' error.

Game two was all Chicago, as Tinker and Chance got together on a double play. But with the final score a lopsided 6-1, they probably didn't need it. What they did need was a home run from Tinker. Evers had an RBI, Tinker two.

Detroit won game three in Chicago at West Side Park, 8-3. Cobb led the charge with four hits. Chicago did turn two double plays, one by Evers to Chance. But it didn't matter. Chance had two hits to no avail.

Chance had two more hits, and the pitcher got into the double play scheme of things in this game. Mordecai Brown did more then pitch a 3-0 shutout. With one out and a man on first in the bottom of the sixth, a comebacker from Sam Crawford was fielded by Brown, who tossed to Tinker, the shortstop covering second. Tinker to Chance...Double play!

Chicago got another shutout to clinch it in game five. Detroit turned two double plays, Chicago none. Evers and Chance found other ways to contribute. They each collected three hits. Evers also scored a run and finished with a .350 batting average. Chance was at .421. Cobb was .368. Not bad company.

The Cubs returned to the Fall Classic in 1910, but lost 4-1. Evers was there, but on crutches. Without him, Chicago seemed like a beaten team. This was pretty much it for the original Chicago Cubs dynasty. They've never won a Fall Classic since 1908. They've also never quite had a double play combination since Tinker-Evers-Chance!


References


Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.

Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.

Retrosheet. Web. 7 Jul. 2015. <www.retrosheet.org>.

Sports Reference LLC. 7 July. 2015. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 7 Jul. 2015 .